Welcome to his Office – Meet Dr. Erik Ligans

There are some people you meet who always knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. Dr. Erik Ligans is definitely one of those people, which is like finding a four leaf clover or seeing a rainbow twice in one day. His story and journey both showcase how determination, passion, and planning are all the keys to successfully creating the reality you want. 

“I always wanted to be my own boss, so entrepreneurs and dentistry went hand and hand.”

Ironically Erik never had any cavities or required any major dental procedures, but he loved his dental visits. “I figured I could become a dentist and give my own patients the same experience I received,” said Ligans. He was determined, and immediately after graduating from University of California, Riverside, he attended and graduated from the USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. Instead of choosing a specialty in dentistry, he chose general dentistry. Erik said, “After eight years of schooling, I was ready to get to work.” General dentistry allowed him to get right into the field of dentistry while a specialty in it would require more schooling.

“I wasn’t in control of my own destiny.”

Erik set a goal to only work under another dentist for two to three years and stuck to it. “We are in uncharted territories,” said Ligans, as he described his feelings during the pandemic. He was working for someone else and felt that he wasn’t in control of his destiny like he wanted to be.  Since he nor the rest of the world knew when the pandemic was going to end, it was time for him to do what he always wanted to do. Erik said, “I’m just going to do it right so I can create my own schedule.” This was the moment and reminder he needed.

“Everything kind of did workout.”

In March of 2021, Playa District Dental was born. “The process was a lot because it was both fun and stressful,” said Ligans. Back in 2016, he was doing research and had a general idea of what he wanted, but it was in July of 2020 that he started planning and looking for office spaces. He said the process was streamlined since he already had his vision written down. Erik said, “I did a lot of research and a lot of planning behind the scenes.” This helped him navigate options such as opening up his own office or taking over someone else’s business. He received a lot of communication from other offices ready to sell, but he knew he would still be ultimately inheriting someone else’s vision and he had his own vision. 

“I wasn’t ready at all.”

It was a process and journey for Erik after he opened up his business. He soon realized it was a whole new world he was in now. From being the dentist to running the operations of the business, he had to find the balance of it all. “I was actually more equipped than I thought on in handling certain things and managing personalities,” said Ligans. As a business owner, he also wanted to create an environment where his employees would be happy to come to work everyday. 

“Eleven months later and we are still here.”

His business is still thriving and growing with a lot of popularity coming from word of mouth. People love the work that he does because he leads with passion and sincerely wants them to love what they see after their visit. “It’s when I ask them if they can see the difference,” said Ligans, when I asked him what he was most passionate about. There is a confidence all of us have when our teeth are white and straight. A beautiful smile can brighten up anyone’s day, and Erik wants to make sure that when you leave his chair you feel confident to share your smile with everyone. 

Also, when you step into his office make sure you look at his shoe game because he is handling your smile in style.